Pleasure-railway structure



May 5, 1925.

J. A. MILLER PLEASURE RAILWAY STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheetl +W. Li

May 5, 1925.

1,536,448 J. A. MILLER v PLEASURE RAILWAY STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1925.

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PLEASURE-RAILWAY srntro'ronn.

Application filed January T Q all whom it may Beitpknown that :1, JOHN- A. MILLER,

Struc 11565, f'WhiQ'll the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, refer i :ence he ng had to the accompanying drawmgarf nmingAa part; OfciilJ-ISqlgllVfiHlllQIl;

My inventionrelates to pleasure rail-way s lf' lGtulfes and the general object is to provide; improved; construction, arrangement,

and, operatiomwhioh will greatly increase theysensation and pleasure.

-:less abrupt up grades or sununits, and the rapid-travel over such dips hasheen relied.

upon to (give the sensation and pleasure to. the. patrons-oi the rides. In other words, thesensat-ion was produced by the'sudden changesin the vertical travel of the passenger;.-cars, and although lateral curves have been used in vpleasure railWay structures, they have usually,heen ot il'ong radius, on Whenof shorter tadius such curves. usually. followed an up grade or other slow track 0 section so that the cars oould safely take the curves. k Thecarsgenerally used on these prior structures have usually four wheels Whose, axes are normal, that lS, flt;1Ilgl-l-h an IL 'les with the longitudinal axis of the: car dy-, The travel of such iwheel arrangement around curves, particularly shortradius curves, is accompanied;;by :considerable the track, are, drawn up to the top of a starting summit and arethus givenaitraveling potential, the cars then traveling; from the starting summit by the forceof g-ravityover aseries ofother summits. whose altitudes successively diminish as the end of :the ride is approached. In order togetlthe-most out of the traveling potential, acquired by the cars-When, at thetop of theis'tartingsummit,

thegfriction -ot':travebmusthereducechto a minimum and -consequentlyIn such; prior.

structures, short lateral CUPVBS/gh&"8 been avoided as much as possible; "Heretofore, therefore lateral OlIRVQSahRVQ not-:been cle- .car wheels therewith;

2c, 1925. Serial No. 4,704.

pended upon nor utilized for sensation producangtravel... i

V ,fThe niain object of myinvention is to produce a compact. pleasure. railway struc- V ture abou-nding I in vlater-a1,curvesior loops of short radius, and to; attain such traction: of the cars that they willatravelwith practical- 1y no friction 1 around 'suchcurves and: with great speed. i I attainthishy giving all the lateralspeedcurves the same vradius .andLby arranging the carvvheelswlth their axles; or

bearing pins in .radial: lines centered atthe pointslof ourvaturefofi the turns around: which: the cars are traveling, this reducingthetraotion friction to :a minimum-,FWitn i.pleasureira lvcays, the usual construc-. tion;inconporatesmore" or less steep and abrupt-inclines or=;dipsfollowed by more or rails. This isthefriction "or, retardation that I ,relyupon in the operation of myimprovedzstruoture for permitting cars tosafee 1y enter. the, lateral curves at the end; of a long steep incline or dip. In accordance with my invention, the entrance track sections to the speed curves are designed so that the traction friction of the carsthere over will automatically brake the ,cars to an extent justysufiicient to permit them to satelyentenupon and take .the curves.

Thealoove objects and, features, together with many other features of construction and operation, will be more clearly understood from the following detailv description friction and consequently retardation inthe it velg of the car. In pleasure railwaysthe 40 cars, before starting their journey around and'by reference to the accompanyingdrawthe track direction and clu'vature diagram.- mat1cal1y shown; 1 Fig; 3 is an enlarged plan view-0t part of one. of the speed .curveslands adjacent straight track section, and also showing the arrangement of the car Wheels and their co operation with such track;

Fig. 4 lsan enlarged plan view of a section of reverse curve track and adjacent straight A track and Sl lOWl1fl ll1 co-operation ofgthe -Fig. 5 isa plan view of a car whose seating arrangement makes its particularly desirable for use in connection with my improved railway structure. a

The track rails may be supported on suitable sleeper structure 11 which is supported on trestle work 12 which may be of steel or wooden beams and strengthening members. The rail supporting structure disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 755,133, filed December 11, 1924, may be advantageously used. Likewise the car structure C may be like those disclosed in this co-pending application, the safety abutments r then co-operating with the track rails to hold the cars to the rails during their rapid and sudden direction changing travel over the railway structure.

My improved structure can be accommodated on small ground space and still provide a long ride. On the drawings, the structure is shown built on a short narrow strip of land. For example, a structure arranged as shown and built on a strip of land feet by 450 feet, there would be several thousand feet of track and considerable ground space left over for other concessions. The track is arranged in a plurality of loops, either circular or elongated, but with all the loops curved to the same radius length. On the drawings I show a number of circular loops designated as a ,whole L and a number of elongated loops designated as a whole E, the circular loops and the ends of the elongated loops being all to the same radius of curvature and with the centers of curvature all in the same ver- I loading platform or floor space 15 which is shown ashorizontal and some distance above the grounder the floor 16 of the station building S. A stairway 17 leads from the unloading platform down to the floor 16, and a railing l8 surrounds this exit stairway and also extends between the loading and unloading platforms.

Between the station S and the opposite side of the ground space, there will be ample room for a building 19 affording suitable floor space for concessions. I have shown an. oblong building having the entrance 20. The building may be provided with an upper floor 21 of the same level as the unloading platforinlzi, so that cars may be transferred to and stored on the floor 21 by means of a suitable transfer table 22.

In the particular. arrangement shown, the

ride starts with a track loop L This loop is in greater part circular, but is abruptly canted in order to bring it below the floor of the building 19 and to the bottom of the hoisting track section. The loop, therefore, extends in greater part through a tunnel having its entra ce at 23, leaving sufficient ramp space 24 to the entrance 20 of the building 19.

The entrance loop extends to the hoist section of the track structure. This section extends from the station along the edge of the ground space and terminates at the starting summit 26, cars being towed up to the starting summit by suitable chain hoisting mechanism H in a manner well understood in the pleasure railway field.

Upon being released at the starting summit I 26, the cars will be propelled by the force of gravity around the various curves and curve 33, the loop E being a distance be low the loopE The straight side 32 of the elongated loop E provides a. long down grade practically to the ground and runs into the first of the series of circular loops L L L etc. loops are all to the same curvature radius and extend full width of the ground space and are inclined upwardly from the ground, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The entrance ends 6 of these various circular loops are shown below their outlet ends 0, and the outlet end 0 of the last loop leads to the reverse curve 33 running to the horizontal track section 34 leading to the unloading platform 15. Between the outlet end of each loop and the entrance end of the next loop there is a section of straight track 35,

the purpose of which will be explained later.

If the ordinary type of car with parallel axles or bearing pins were used on the track structure I have described, the traction potential given the car at the top of the starting summit would soon be dissipated in overcoming the traction friction of the car wheels at the curves, and the total track length would have to be made very short. Fun thermore, with the parallel axles, straightaway sections would have to be very short in advance of the turns or the cars would. have to be provided with braking outfits to retard them sufficiently so that they could safely take the. curves. In the operation heretofore dips are usually followed by upgrades for checking the speed sufficiently for the next dip, and short curves are usually preceded by upgrades, so that the cars will be brought to a safe speed before entering the curves. Thus, in prior operation,

the curves have been operated slowly and- As before explained, thesetv'ith'eut, f'se'rieation," 'the"j-sudden vertieal' dip he'vhig' been depended upon tor the sew sational feature.

TheEohjectef myiiivention isto pie-tide tfii egef f-these ihcips being all of the samelengthfes hziseh'eady-been'exphiined. Vith this eriahgeiheht the oer wheel's *Wilial'ways be tahgentiaItUthe raiiset en'y 'c u'rve having such cbninibn radius of curvzitui'e; "Then, when. ibell bear in'gs are iprov'ide'd for the Wheels, thercars *ean trvel =r'apid1y around the curves and loops With practically fn'egligible-friction; On theether hand, on"curves of diife rent *radii, or on reverse curves, '01 on stl ai ght. ttaek, "th wheels will not he tangential 'and theirengagemeht "with the rhils will he "aeeoihp'enied by K :1 correspond ing zinieimt jof frictioh which *"autemati'eaHy predild'es hrakingec'ti'on. Thei'sulting fi'ietion is part'imdaily greet at reverse cnrws and this insures \safe' travel of the 0211's -un der ee itain conditi'ensto be referred te later.

"*im'pr'eved zwheel arrangement re-1 tivetdthe track isshown in Figs. 3, 4 mm EFi'gt 3ffshows"a'seetienet sfieed curve arfd efa stra'lig ht trzi' ek with ears en heth seetiehs. As shown, thewheels'ware eitailgedsdthat when the ears are on the min/ e the Wheel axes will b in dihesrEjfiaQsihg thfoxrgh the ,ceriter'iof eur-ve't'ure 0. 'When thewheels ere thh 501i "gthe eerie j's'eetion, tract-ion fiiet'idn will he *elimir'rated," hile when the Wheels ditewne the *stfari'ght secti-en the Wheels "will be inelihed"attengles with the vertical planes Ofl'fllQi'fizi'iS a-ndthei'e 'will be eerrespehdihg' the er travels*Whihwill cause 'eorre'spend curvesection 36. fivhene'h the revei's'etu'rfie seet-ion theqvifieds will'be a-tdeeidecmngles with-the fails and the traction flietien"will he 've'ryigreat. Suc'h friction is* teken aid \llantga gefof-ioi the'first er entrance 100p L which lee-p is steep and stiddeniy dips downwardlyirdmithe; "lee-ding 'p1atfor'm1t0ehter the tui11ie1 23. "I;he"10ep*is' el'so' bf reduced radius mid this, with its reverse-curvature, will :eause 'sfiflicient friction (to permit the sudden steep -dipt0 be safely tekemhutwith gratzpleasunw mid*senszitidn t0 the ptssengers;theimigillarityof the esir Wheels relative to ;;the,failsigiving "the s me "sensation thatsliridd-i-ng (ifan auteihobile-ddivfi a "steep hill *wottldagive.

No. ?55,134, "filed Deeember 1 1', 1924.

will be produced to check the cars to a safe speed before taking the curve L In the same manner, the straight section 35 in advance of the next curve L moderates the speed sufficiently for safety. After the last loop the cars take the reverse curve 33 under heavy traction friction and the cars approach the unloading platform slowly enough to be readily stopped.

By reason of this automatic braking ac-.

tion on declines in advance of curves, such declines can be from high summits, thus adding to the sensation. Although cars are actually retarded by the traction friction, it is not apparent to the car passengers. To the. contrary, the frictional engagement gives a sliding or skidding feeling to the passengers, and if anything, they will imagine that the car is going faster rather than being retarded. This sensation, added to the anticipation of taking a sudden turn visible at the base of the decline, makes riding in my improved ride full of thrills, sensations and pleasure. Perhaps the greatest sensation and thrill comes at the curves and loops, for instead of feeling the car retarded by the traction friction as would be expect,- ed, the occupants find themselves speeding around. the curves without any apparent check of any kind. By the compact arrangement of curves and loops shown, a long ride can be obtained in a short narrow space. The space within and below the elongated loops E can be utilized for concessional structures.

Many modifications can, of course, be made in the number, arrangement, and nature of the several curves, loops and other track sections, and in the apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as follows:

1. In a pleasure railway, the combination of a track having a plurality of curves of the same radius length and track sections of other radius lengths between said curves, and cars for said tracks, the wheels of said cars being set to be tangential to the rail curvature when the cars travel over said curves and to be non-tangential when the cars travel over the other track sections.

2.. In a pleasure railway, the combination of a track structure having track sections of different curvature radius, and a car having its wheels permanently set so as to be tangential to the rail curvature when traveling on some of said track sections and to be nontangential when the car travels on other track sections.

3. In a pleasure railway, the combination of a track structure having a number of curves of the same radius and each preceded by a track section of different radius, and a car for said track structure having its Wheels permanently set to be tangential with the rail curvature when the car is on said curves and to be non-tangential when the car is on said other track sections in advance ofsaid curves.

4. In a pleasure railway, the combination with a track structure having a decline section and a lateral curve at the bottom there of, of a car having its wheels permanently set to be non-tangential with the rail curvature when traveling down said decline but to be tangential with the rail curvature when traveling around ,the curves.

5. In a pleasure railway, a track structure having a plurality of lateral loops, the radii of curvature of said loops being the same, a decline track section connecting the outlet end of each loop with the inlet end of the next loop, and a car having its wheels set with their axes in the radial line of curvature when said car is traveling around said loops, said decline sections being of different curvature.

6. In a pleasure railway, a track structure comprising track sections having different radii of curvature, a car for traveling over said track structure, and means for causing the wheels of said car to be tangential with the rail curvature of some of said track sections and to be non-tangential with the rail curvature of other track sections.

7. In a pleasure railway, the combination of a track structure havin a plurality of lateral curves and intervening track sections, a car for traveling over said track structure, and means for causing the car wheels to be tangential to the rails when traveling around said curves, and to be nontangential to the rails when traveling over the intervening track sections.

8. In a pleasure railway, the combination of a tack structure comprising a plurality of lateral turns having the same radius of curvature, declines approaches for said curves having radii of curvature different from that of said curves, and a car having wheels arranged to engage tangentially with the rail curvature at said turns but to engage non-tangentially at said decline approaches.

9., In a pleasure railway, the combination of a track circuit having a plurality of lat eral curves, a decline entrance track section for each curve, and a car having its wheels set relative to said curves to be tangential thereto when the car travels around said curves, said approach track sections being of such lateral curvature that the wheels of said cars ,will be non-tangential whereby said car will be frictionally retarded before entering a curve.

10.,In a pleasure railway, the combination of a track structure comprising a succession of circular lateral loops having the same radius of curvature, said loops being inclined with their exit ends forming declines, a track section of different radius of curvature intervening between the exit end of said loop and the entrance end of the next loop, and a car for said track structure having its wheels set with their axial lines extending through the curvature centers of said loops when said car is traveling on said loops, said intervening sections having curvature radius different from that of said loops whereby the frictional engagement of the car wheels on said sections will automatically brake the car prior to entering the loops.

11. In a pleasure railway, a track structure having a plurality of lateral speed curves and connectingtrack sections, and a car having its wheels arranged to take said speed curves without traction friction, but to have more or less frictional traction engagement with the rails of said connecting track-section.

12. In a pleasure railway, the combination of a'track structure having a row of inclined speed loops and intervening straight track sections, and a car having its wheels set with their axes convergent to the curvature centers of said curves when said car travels sai'd loops whereby to eliminate traction friction, said wheels having sufficient frictional traction engagement with the rails of said straight track sections to brake the speed of the car to a safe limit before entrance of the car on speed loops.

13. In a pleasure railway, the combination of atrack structure comprising a series of circular inclined loopshaving the same length radius of curvature, the outlet end of each loop being above its inlet, a section of track connecting the outlet end of each loop with the inlet end of the next loop, and a car having its wheels set with their axes converging to the curvature center of the loop on which the car is traveling, the track sections connecting said loops being of different curvature whereby the resulting traction friction will brake the cars before en trance thereof to said loops.

' 14. In a pleasure railway, a lateral curve, a steep decline leading thereto, a car having its wheels set at. angles to take said curve tangentially, the lateral curvature of said decline being such that said wheels will have frictional traction engagement therewith whereby to retard the car before entrance thereof on said curve.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of January, 1925.

JOHN A. MILLER. 

